title: Longer length of first stay in intermittent residential programmes is associated with larger weight loss at 1 and 2 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if length of first stay impacts on weight loss and cardiovascular fitness, at 1 and 2 years in severely obese patients enrolled in intermittent residential programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective follow-up study, we assessed weight loss and changes in cardiovascular fitness (VO₂ peak) at 1 and 2 years in 179 severely obese adults who participated in two intermittent residential programmes. Both programmes consisted of five stays at the Røros Rehabilitation Centre over a 2-year period, but programme A consisted of a much longer first stay compared with programme B (8 vs. 2 weeks).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 179 participants (BMI 44 ± 6 kg/m²), 162 completed 1-year and 117 2-year evaluation. Programme A led to significantly larger weight reduction (-20.7 ± 10.8 vs. -13.5 ± 8.1 kg and -16.0 ± 12.7 vs. -7.9 ± 11.2 kg, p < 0.0001) and improvement in VO₂ peak (7.8 vs. 3.6 ml/kg/min (p < 0.0001) and 5.6 vs. 2.5 ml/kg/min (p < 0.01)) at both 1 and 2 years, compared with programme B. Intention-to-treat analysis showed similar results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A residential intermittent programme with a longer initial stay is associated with better weight loss and improvement in cardiovascular fitness at both 1 and 2 years. A longer follow-up is needed to clearly establish the sustainability of these programmes.
authors.affiliation: Obesity Research Group, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. catia.martins@ntnu.no
authors.forename: Catia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strommen
authors.forename: Bård
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kulseng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D057194:Intention to Treat Analysis; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs